Congressman Elijah E. Cummings Proudly Representing Maryland's 7th District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2007

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Devika Koppikar
(202) 225-4741 or (202) 225-4025
Trudy Perkins
(410) 685-9199 or (202) 225-4741
Mike Christianson
(410) 685-9199 or (202) 225-9876

Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Maryland), who believes we should support our troops in Iraq by implementing a plan to bring them home, made the following statement regarding President Bush's primetime address on a "new" strategy in Iraq.

"Tonight President Bush proposed a so-called 'new' strategy for our involvement in Iraq.  However, his words demonstrate that he has once again disregarded reality, ignored the advice of top military experts and most of all, forgotten about the concerns of the American people.  

"This November, voters sent a resounding message that we should get out of Iraq immediately.

"Instead, President Bush is proposing the opposite-another increase of troops to be sent into the civil war mayhem of Iraq.

"Military and foreign policy experts have said that sending more troops to Iraq will escalate the sectarian violence that is the core of the current situation in Iraq.  Further, they say this surge would make the Iraqi government more reliant upon the United States-when the stated goal has been to make Iraqis self-sufficient.

"Giving a man an extra set of crutches won't help him learn to walk on his own.

"After having spent more than $379 billion in taxpayer's dollars, losing more than 3,000 American lives, and causing more than 22,000 war-related injuries, this war needs a substantive change in course.

"We must implement a carefully-crafted exit strategy now.

"Shortly, I will join my colleague Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) in introducing a House Concurrent Resolution that would express a sense of Congress that the President should not order an escalation in the total number of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq.

"Further, I will join with the Democratic Majority in continuing to question a long-term involvement in Iraq.

"A surge in troops will not expedite or support our overall goal to combat global terrorism. 

"I question whether the President's latest announcement constitutes a good faith change of course or a last ditch effort to save his quickly dwindling legacy by bequeathing the Iraq war to the next President."